When speaking of separation among believers—whether through death, relocation, or life's transitions—we joyfully affirm the eternal, bodily reunion promised in Christ. Rooted in Scripture, it emphasizes that Christ, as the Good Shepherd, guarantees the preservation of His people, ensuring no one is lost, and that all will be raised in glorified bodies to dwell together in the presence of God. The Lord's Supper is presented not merely as a memorial but as a living anticipation of the future banquet in Christ's kingdom, where believers will gather physically, joyfully, and eternally with the Savior and one another. The imagery of the marriage supper of the Lamb, the river of life, and Christ's joy over His redeemed people underscores a future of complete restoration, where all partings are undone and every believer is accounted for. Ultimately, the promise is one of hope and assurance: because Christ died and rose again, the sorrow of earthly separation will be forever replaced by the eternal, tangible fellowship of the redeemed in the glory of God's presence!

The sermon centers on the imminent return of Christ, emphasizing that believers should live with constant anticipation, knowing they are destined for eternal life in heaven. Drawing from key passages in 1 John, 1 Thessalonians, and Revelation, it underscores the certainty of salvation through faith in Christ, which occurs at a specific moment of personal acceptance, not through works or gradual effort. The preacher calls for a transformed life marked by purity, repentance, and holy actions, not for self-righteousness but as a response to being made children of God. He urges believers to live with the mindset of readiness—cleansing their hearts, mending broken relationships, and cultivating an attitude of joyful expectation, as Christ could return at any moment. Ultimately, the message is one of urgent hope: to be prepared, to accept God's gift of eternal life, and to live each day as a faithful steward, knowing that Jesus is coming soon to take His people home.

It is the divine mission of God's ambassadors to proclaim peace through Christ, despite relentless opposition from those who reject reconciliation, whether through hypocrisy, envy, or pride. Jesus, the ultimate ambassador, faced hostility from religious leaders who sought to destroy His message, even as He offered living water and eternal life to all who believed. Key passages—John 7, Matthew 23, Luke 15, Acts 13, and Jonah—illustrate the recurring pattern of resistance to God's grace, especially when extended to the unworthy, revealing the heart of spiritual rebellion rooted in self-righteousness and the devil's deception. Yet, through the blood of Christ, the accuser is defeated, and peace is secured for all who believe, regardless of past wickedness, demonstrating that true salvation is not earned but received by grace. True Christians must embrace this peace with joy, to reject the spirit of condemnation, and to live as faithful ambassadors, knowing that the gospel triumphs by the power of Christ's sacrifice and the Holy Spirit's work.

The sermon centers on Christ as God's ultimate ambassador of peace, whose ministry was repeatedly obstructed by religious leaders and the world's hostility, yet ultimately fulfilled through divine sovereignty. Drawing from John 7, it highlights how Christ's truth-telling, healing on the Sabbath, and claims of divine origin provoked rejection, violence, and deception, revealing the world's deep enmity toward God's truth. Despite widespread ignorance, false beliefs, and attempts to silence Him, Christ's message of salvation through faith in His atoning sacrifice could not be thwarted, as God protected Him until His appointed hour. The sermon underscores that God's peace is not achieved through deception or force, but through the humble, truthful proclamation of the gospel by redeemed sinners—once enemies, now ambassadors—whose witness is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the cross stands as the definitive act of God's peace, where Christ's death, though orchestrated by human malice, secured eternal redemption for all who believe.

The sermon presents the gospel as God's ultimate peace offering through Jesus Christ, His divine ambassador, whose crucifixion—though an act of human hatred—became the means by which God perfected salvation and reconciled sinners to Himself. Drawing from Scripture, especially Luke 24 and Ephesians 6, it emphasizes that believers, once enemies of God, are now His ambassadors, called to proclaim repentance and forgiveness with the same gentleness, love, and patience that Christ demonstrated. The message contrasts this divine diplomacy with the world's dishonest, coercive, and often war-motivated negotiations, particularly in the context of international relations, where broken promises, lack of transparency, and sabotage undermine peace. It warns that such treachery, as seen in historical and contemporary conflicts, ultimately leads to judgment, while affirming that God's persistent, grace-filled outreach to sinners—despite their rebellion—reveals the unmatched power and beauty of the gospel. The sermon concludes with a call to gratitude and mission, rooted in the Lord's Supper, where the broken body and shed blood of Christ are remembered as the foundation of eternal peace and the enduring call to witness to all nations.

Our world is now overcome by a war that we started with Israel, and the damage is incalculable. Just now, one billion barrels of oil are lost from the supply chain. That will soon catch up with us worldwide as petroleum reserves are exhausted. Then the price of fuel will zoom much higher. There seems to be no way for everybody to stop fighting all at once. With Israel, the United States, Iran, Hezbollah, and now the United Arab Emirates all shooting at each other, there's no way to get a real cease fire. In any event, the Israelis will not stop killing people no matter what the rest of the belligerents do. Our President also insists on maintaining a blockade and shooting at freighters in spite of the cease fire. Nobody so far has been satisfied with the terms of peace presented by the United States and Iran. Countries want the attacks against them stopped, so long as they can keep attacking the others! You cease, I keep firing! The Psalmist lamented, "my soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war." But God makes peace with people opposed to Him! He declares peace on a one by one basis! God does not require everybody to stop warring against Him. He makes peace with His loved ones, even while the world war against Him rages on! In other words, with God, there can be peace even while everybody else is still fighting! God's peace comes about while there is no world-wide ceasefire in place! Making peace with everybody all at once is not a hinderance for God to make peace with you and I now!

Ambassadors and negotiators have a history going back to the first organized tribes, and then states. Over time, a set of rules evolved about how ambassadors must be treated in order for states to engage each other in a predictable manner. Truthfulness, security, and courtesy became the norm. The white flag of parley, for example, became a pledge of safe passage, so that discussions can take place. Negotiations take place in the context of mutual pledges of good faith and sincerity in the purposes of such talks. All of which brings up the sin of treachery, the crime of using negotiations as a cover for surprise attacks. The Japanese at Pearl Harbor are the prime historical example. In President Roosevelt's speech calling for a declaration of war, he repeatedly referred to Japan's perfidy, dishonesty, and treachery in engaging in peace talks while secretly plotting a massive surprise attack, without a prior declaration of war, or even withdrawal from peace talks. Yet now, the United States has engaged in such treachery and perfidy against the nation of Iran, by using talks twice in less than a year to conceal surprise attacks and wars of aggression against a nation at peace with us. Because of this, further negotiations are impossible, since the United States has several times now been caught lying to the Iranians and engaging in dishonest negotiations. Without truthfulness, there can be no negotiations. Scripture speaks of ambassadors in several places. Ultimately, the greatest ambassadorial outreach is the Gospel, the greatest such appeal for peace with God that will ever be seen in the world!

Scripture condemns the modern Christian acceptance of assassination and retaliatory violence, since such actions violate the biblical command for equal standards of right and wrong. Based on Genesis 9 and Matthew 7, returning evil for evil is a sin that undermines justice and reflects hypocrisy. Historical Christian doctrine once rejected assassination, contrasting this with contemporary political justifications for targeted killings. Ultimately, believers must reject vengeance, and instead follow Christ's example of suffering without retaliation, relying on God's righteous judgment and the redemptive power of His sacrifice.

A new MP3 sermon from Victory Bible Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details:

Title: What Kind of Church People are You?

Speaker: John Pittman

Broadcaster: Victory Bible Baptist Church

Event: Midweek Service

Date: 4/15/2026

Bible: Philippians 2:25-30

Length: 42 min.

When Moses revealed to the people of Israel the means by which they would be redeemed from the slavery of Egypt, the people bowed their heads and worshipped. It was by means of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, and the display of the blood upon the door posts of their houses. Otherwise, the death angel would pass through all the land and kill all the firstborn, man and beast. Israel was an idolatrous and sinful people, as were the Egyptians. God's wrath against the entire land would have punished them all, but for the substitute lamb, whose blood displayed was a sign, that the sins of Israel had been paid for in the blood of an innocent victim slain in their place. This was a clear example of substitution, the death of a lamb in the place of poor sinners. It points to the Lamb of God, Who one day would die in the place of His people, and for our sins. Rather than being judged by God for our sins, God would judge His Dear Son as our surety, our savior, Who gave His life a ransom for us. All this raises the question, why did Israel so quickly rebel against God? It was right after God had made a covenant with Israel, and given it the law, that the people made a golden calf to worship at the foot of Mount Sinai! Their worship was debauched, and God's wrath was kindled against them. Why didn't the Passover sacrifice, and all the other animals slain as offerings for sin, change the hearts of the people away from rebellion against their God, Who had rescued them from slavery and oppression? Still today, the Passover is celebrated by the Jewish people, yet they are not saved, yet they are not faithful to God at all.